I think there is some confusion about Adobe DRM and its implications.
Every version of Adobe Reader Mobile SDK since the Nook shipped last year is able to understand both the 'classic' and the newer 'B&N' flavor of Adobe DRM. The RMSDK is the Adobe software that is needed on the reader to enforce DRM restrictions.
On the server side, ebook storefronts license Adobe Content Server. That is the part that adds DRM to the ePub (or PDF) file being delivered to the customer. It us up to the licensee whether they want to use 'classic' or 'B&N' flavor for the books they sell; the server will serve either type.
To the extent that there is fragmentation in the Adobe DRM world, it is because the reader software has not been updated by all vendors (notably Sony and I think Kobo). But it is not the case that no vendors support the B&N 'flavor' for protecting ePub. For example, Bluefire reader for iOS will read books from B&N. Quite likely many dedicated readers that have shipped in the last year
can read ePub purchased from B&N as well, but they are probably not inclined to widely advertise this fact, as most have their own storefronts to promote, and may not think it necessary to mention it.
Eventually, even Sony will find need to update the reader software to take advantage of new features provided by future versions of the RMSDK, and the fragmentation will end. I would not be surprised if Sony has some leverage to negotiate with Adobe to deliver bug fixes based on the earlier, pre-B&N version - but Adobe would probably limit it to bug fixes, not deliver new features, since doing the latter would detract from their 'no fragmentation' story, without which they have no story.
As to what Amazon will or will not do with respect to ePub, and specifically Adobe DRMed ePub, only they know. I don't know what licensing terms are for the RMSDK or the ACS, and how much money would be involved if Amazon decided to support it, but presumably it is non-zero, and a reason why Amazon (especially, given its reputation for frugality) would not want to do it. Amazon
does license at least a portion of the RMSDK (for Kindle's PDF viewer), but the people who know about that can't or won't tell us.
As others note, they are doing quite well without such support at the moment, and unless they were also prepared to
sell ePub with Adobe DRM, there is no point in adding this feature to Kindle. Selling ePub would require buy-in from publishers, some of whom have proved less than friendly with Amazon. So I for one will not be holding my breath.
I like my Kindle very much, but doubt I'll buy another dedicated reader for at least a year (if ever), by which time I'll have a whole other set of opinions and options I am sure. I've been doing a lot of reading on my iPod Touch (especially for library books), so Amazon is not getting much of my book money of late. Still, I hope they continue to do what it takes to remain at or near the forefront of things - I don't see them resting on their laurels, with Google shaking things up. It will be fun to watch.
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An excerpt from
this Adobe FAQ follows below:
Quote:
Q: Will there now be two different content protection solutions for EPUB content?
A: Definitely not. A major reason we joined forces was to avoid fragmentation of multiple content protection technologies for EPUB. Content Server will simply have two options for protecting EPUB content: identity-based authorization and ID and password-based authorization. The DRM infrastructure—both in the Reader Mobile SDK and in Content Server—is the same, and the changes for Content Server and enhanced RMSDK customers to enable the password-protected option will be minor. From an end-user perspective, some content may now require a password the first time it is accessed on each device.
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